diff --git a/v2/apierror/apierror.go b/v2/apierror/apierror.go
index 787a619..aa6be13 100644
--- a/v2/apierror/apierror.go
+++ b/v2/apierror/apierror.go
@@ -233,30 +233,49 @@ func (a *APIError) Metadata() map[string]string {
 
 }
 
-// FromError parses a Status error or a googleapi.Error and builds an APIError.
-func FromError(err error) (*APIError, bool) {
-	if err == nil {
-		return nil, false
-	}
-
-	ae := APIError{err: err}
+// setDetailsFromError parses a Status error or a googleapi.Error
+// and sets status and details or httpErr and details, respectively.
+// It returns false if neither Status nor googleapi.Error can be parsed.
+func (a *APIError) setDetailsFromError(err error) bool {
 	st, isStatus := status.FromError(err)
 	var herr *googleapi.Error
 	isHTTPErr := errors.As(err, &herr)
 
 	switch {
 	case isStatus:
-		ae.status = st
-		ae.details = parseDetails(st.Details())
+		a.status = st
+		a.details = parseDetails(st.Details())
 	case isHTTPErr:
-		ae.httpErr = herr
-		ae.details = parseHTTPDetails(herr)
+		a.httpErr = herr
+		a.details = parseHTTPDetails(herr)
 	default:
-		return nil, false
+		return false
 	}
+	return true
+}
 
-	return &ae, true
+// FromError parses a Status error or a googleapi.Error and builds an
+// APIError, wrapping the provided error in the new APIError. It
+// returns false if neither Status nor googleapi.Error can be parsed.
+func FromError(err error) (*APIError, bool) {
+	return ParseError(err, true)
+}
 
+// ParseError parses a Status error or a googleapi.Error and builds an
+// APIError. If wrap is true, it wraps the error in the new APIError.
+// It returns false if neither Status nor googleapi.Error can be parsed.
+func ParseError(err error, wrap bool) (*APIError, bool) {
+	if err == nil {
+		return nil, false
+	}
+	ae := APIError{}
+	if wrap {
+		ae = APIError{err: err}
+	}
+	if !ae.setDetailsFromError(err) {
+		return nil, false
+	}
+	return &ae, true
 }
 
 // parseDetails accepts a slice of interface{} that should be backed by some
diff --git a/v2/apierror/apierror_test.go b/v2/apierror/apierror_test.go
index 358b918..ddd0419 100644
--- a/v2/apierror/apierror_test.go
+++ b/v2/apierror/apierror_test.go
@@ -363,21 +363,24 @@ func TestFromError(t *testing.T) {
 		{&APIError{err: lS.Err(), status: lS, details: ErrDetails{LocalizedMessage: lo}}, true},
 		{&APIError{err: uS.Err(), status: uS, details: ErrDetails{Unknown: u}}, true},
 		{&APIError{err: hae, httpErr: hae, details: ErrDetails{ErrorInfo: httpErrInfo}}, true},
+		{&APIError{err: errors.New("standard error")}, false},
 	}
 
 	for _, tc := range tests {
 		got, apiB := FromError(tc.apierr.err)
 		if tc.b != apiB {
-			t.Errorf("got %v, want %v", apiB, tc.b)
+			t.Errorf("FromError(%s): got %v, want %v", tc.apierr.err, apiB, tc.b)
 		}
-		if diff := cmp.Diff(got.details, tc.apierr.details, cmp.Comparer(proto.Equal)); diff != "" {
-			t.Errorf("got(-), want(+),: \n%s", diff)
-		}
-		if diff := cmp.Diff(got.status, tc.apierr.status, cmp.Comparer(proto.Equal), cmp.AllowUnexported(status.Status{})); diff != "" {
-			t.Errorf("got(-), want(+),: \n%s", diff)
-		}
-		if diff := cmp.Diff(got.err, tc.apierr.err, cmpopts.EquateErrors()); diff != "" {
-			t.Errorf("got(-), want(+),: \n%s", diff)
+		if tc.b {
+			if diff := cmp.Diff(got.details, tc.apierr.details, cmp.Comparer(proto.Equal)); diff != "" {
+				t.Errorf("got(-), want(+),: \n%s", diff)
+			}
+			if diff := cmp.Diff(got.status, tc.apierr.status, cmp.Comparer(proto.Equal), cmp.AllowUnexported(status.Status{})); diff != "" {
+				t.Errorf("got(-), want(+),: \n%s", diff)
+			}
+			if diff := cmp.Diff(got.err, tc.apierr.err, cmpopts.EquateErrors()); diff != "" {
+				t.Errorf("got(-), want(+),: \n%s", diff)
+			}
 		}
 	}
 	if err, _ := FromError(nil); err != nil {
@@ -389,6 +392,59 @@ func TestFromError(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestParseError(t *testing.T) {
+	httpErrInfo := &errdetails.ErrorInfo{Reason: "just because", Domain: "tests"}
+	any, err := anypb.New(httpErrInfo)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	e := &jsonerror.Error{Error: &jsonerror.Error_Status{Details: []*anypb.Any{any}}}
+	data, err := protojson.Marshal(e)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	hae := &googleapi.Error{
+		Body: string(data),
+	}
+
+	se := errors.New("standard error")
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		source error
+		apierr *APIError
+		b      bool
+	}{
+		{hae, &APIError{httpErr: hae, details: ErrDetails{ErrorInfo: httpErrInfo}}, true},
+		{se, &APIError{err: se}, false},
+	}
+
+	for _, tc := range tests {
+		// ParseError with wrap = true is covered by TestFromError, above.
+		got, apiB := ParseError(tc.source, false)
+		if tc.b != apiB {
+			t.Errorf("ParseError(%s, false): got %v, want %v", tc.apierr, apiB, tc.b)
+		}
+		if tc.b {
+			if diff := cmp.Diff(got.details, tc.apierr.details, cmp.Comparer(proto.Equal)); diff != "" {
+				t.Errorf("got(-), want(+),: \n%s", diff)
+			}
+			if diff := cmp.Diff(got.status, tc.apierr.status, cmp.Comparer(proto.Equal), cmp.AllowUnexported(status.Status{})); diff != "" {
+				t.Errorf("got(-), want(+),: \n%s", diff)
+			}
+			if got.err != nil {
+				t.Errorf("got %s, want nil", got.err)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	if err, _ := ParseError(nil, false); err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("got %s, want nil", err)
+	}
+
+	if c, _ := ParseError(context.DeadlineExceeded, false); c != nil {
+		t.Errorf("got %s, want nil", c)
+	}
+}
+
 func golden(name, got string) (string, error) {
 	g := filepath.Join("testdata", name+".golden")
 	if *update {